Sunday 05 / October / 2025
Muscat: The artificial intelligence (AI) holds vast potential for waste management. By improving sorting accuracy, AI can significantly reduce the volume of waste sent to landfills and increase the quantity of materials recovered for recycling.
The Omani innovation "Env.ai" is an intelligent waste management system that utilises artificial intelligence technologies to sort plastic waste with high precision. This contributes to facilitating recycling processes, reducing pollution, and supporting sustainability efforts.
The operational mechanism of "Env.ai" relies on smart bins equipped with high-resolution cameras and processors connected to AI algorithms. The cameras identify the type of plastic according to international standards and then automatically direct the waste to its designated bin. Interactive screens integrated into the system also help raise user awareness through educational messages about the importance of waste sorting and recycling.
Saif Juma Al Hashar, a student majoring in Information Technology (Cybersecurity) at the University of Technology and Applied Sciences, Muscat Branch, and one of the founders of the "Env.ai" project, explained that the project idea began in early 2025. Since then, the team has worked on building and field-testing the prototype. He indicated that the project has now reached an advanced stage of development, enabling it to enter into broader trials with relevant institutions, aligning with the priorities of "Oman Vision 2040" in the field of sustainability.
He stated that the core problem is that a large portion of plastic waste is mixed daily with other waste, which hinders recycling operations and causes increasing environmental pollution, in addition to the difficulty of manually sorting different types of plastic at collection and processing sites.
He told Oman News Agency (ONA) that the "Env.ai" project emerged as an innovative solution based on smart bins capable of automatically sorting plastic waste with high accuracy, thereby reducing human error and increasing recycling efficiency.
Al Hashar clarified that the project has received distinguished opportunities for presentation and participation, including representing the Sultanate of Oman at the London International Youth Science Forum (LIYSF 2025) in the United Kingdom, where the innovation was showcased to an elite group of scientists and researchers from various countries worldwide.
The project also participated in several national competitions and programs, such as the National Hackathon in the South Al Sharqiyah Governorate, where it achieved second place among more than 60 teams.
He pointed out that these participations contributed to developing the project and enhancing its readiness to become a practical, applicable product. He affirmed that work is underway to expand the scope of field trials and build strategic partnerships with relevant entities.
It is worth noting that the "Env.ai" project aspires to be one of the prominent smart technical solutions in the field of waste management by employing artificial intelligence and innovation to support environmental sustainability.
